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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Vitamins use health & death risk in for women

Research & Study: Vitamins use may increase health & death risk in older women

Popping vitamins may do more harm than good, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting some supplements may have health risks.
Older women who took a daily vitamin supplement, even just a multivitamin, had an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a study published Monday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Multivitamin users older women just as likely as non-users to have died or been diagnosed with common cancers or suffered stroke or a heart attack.
This study about woman who take supplements dying younger a good example of why it’s important to be research literate. This study does not show a casual link to taking supplements and early death.
In this study, being trumpeted all over the web today, WebMB reports that “In a new study, multivitamins, folic acid, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6 supplements all increased an older woman’s risk. The greatest risk was seen with iron supplements. Calcium supplements, however, seemed to reduce a woman’s risk of dying.
Researchers used data from the Iowa Women's Health Study to examine the link between vitamin and mineral supplements and death rates among 38,772 women, average age 61.6. Women filled out questionnaires about supplement use in 1986, 1997 and 2004. "Out of 15 studied supplements, seven are associated with increased total mortality risk," . "Other studies have not shown the mortality risk our study shows” lead author Jaakko Murso says, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
The new study linked a number of individual vitamins and minerals to the slight mortality risk, including multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper.
"However, we do know that most compounds are toxic in high amounts, and long-term use might predispose [a person] to detrimental outcomes," he told MyHealthNewsDaily
Researchers used data from the Iowa Women's Health Study to examine the association between vitamin and mineral supplements and death rate among 38,772 women, average age 61.6 years.
"Out of 15 studied supplements, seven are associated with increased total mortality risk," says Murso. Among findings:
Use of multivitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc and copper are associated with increased risk of death.
The association between supplement intake and death risk was strongest with iron.
Calcium supplements, meanwhile, were associated with reduced risk.